The Three Beats Of An Endless Waltz
by the sHINjo
Summary: Ten years of sepearation, have caused the Gundam Pilots to slightly lose their touch. Tradegy has struck Heero, Duo must face his son, Quatre and Trowa reunite, and Wufei is forced into a decision... PLEASE R&R! HIATUS
1. WAR

The year of A.C. 205 had come around the corner too fast. Peace had resided between the colonies and Earth and the need for Gundams no longer existed. Forgotten by the world, the five ex-Gundam pilots lived the rest of their lives separately... Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, and Wufei Chang. The Revolution of the Gundams, their pilots, and the soldiers that fought and lost their lives is over. A new age has risen, whether for the better or worse of mankind...

"Dad! Hey dad!" A small boy seemingly the age of six ran over to the larger form of a man.

The man wore a pair of shades over his violet eyes, a leather jacket, and black pants. Bangs of chestnut brown hung in his face as well as a long braid down his back. Bending down, he allowed the boy, a splitting image of himself, to jump into his arms.

"Well you're growing every day!" He smiled.

"Yup! One day, I'm gonna grows up big and strong like you!" The little boy flung his arms around his father's neck and hugged him.

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

A woman tapped lightly upon the doorframe of an office. "Excuse me, Mr. Winner, but someone is here to see you."

Inside it could be seen that it was a small room cluttered with piles of papers. Among the papers was a man. He was seemingly an Arabian, although he did not reflect their ethnic background by much. He had blonde hair and blue eyes and wore a light pink shirt, purple vest, and khakis. A pen was stuck behind his ear and he looked up irritably from his work.

"Please, just send him in, Ellen."

The man who entered wore a green turtleneck that matched the color of his eyes. His hair was cut short but at a strange angle; covering half his face. Hands deep within his pockets he stared at the Arabian, no expression on his face.

Lip quivering, the papers fell from his shaking hands. "T-T-Trowa...?"

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

"I vowed never again to share my love with anyone but Nataku, so would you stop asking?!"

"But Wufei! You're the last of your clan. You must marry and have a son or your whole history of existence will be erased!" A younger man ran after Wufei, trying to find reason with him.

"Perhaps...it is better that way..."

"Wufei..."

After pausing Chang continued to walk down the passageway to the outside. "I shall be absent for a while."

"But---"

"Don't send anyone for me. I'll return when I do." Opening the door, he strode out of the department, idly.

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

Looking down upon the small girl that danced around him, Heero sighed. His hand had brushed a small item in his pocket and his stride ended. The small girl looked up at him with wide, brown eyes her dirty strawberry haircut neatly above her eyebrows.

"What's the matter?"

Heero returned the glance with a half smile and a shake of his head.

"Nothing..."

As the two returned to their previous gait, a figure, watched them keenly through spyglasses.

"So it seems the rumors are true then. But what has become of the woman in question, and where's the other child?"

  
Questions boggled the figure's mind. They had obviously been involved with the occurrence of the Gundams ten years ago and a small dog tag hung around their neck that clearly read "Silver Lining".

Watching his daughter, Heero seemingly had an emotional difference from when he piloted Wing Z.E.R.O.

'_Did you really have to do it? Just to try and make us feel content? All this pain, just to be a family..._'

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

"Son's asleep... Yeah. Hilde? She's away on some sort of business trip. Won't be back until some time next week. Yeah... Yeah... So you found him, did you? Good to hear. Keep me updated."

The voice on the end of the phone receiver could be heard before it was hung up:

"No problem, Duo."

Hanging next to the phone, Duo stood a hand placed firmly upon the wall, the other in his pocket. All was silent, until light footsteps could be heard. The small boy appeared in his footed pajamas rubbing one of his eyes.   
  
"Koin...?"

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

"Quatre." The man addressed as Trowa stood, as he did, no tone in his voice. He only looked to the Arabian with a piercing stare; his one visible emerald eye never once left the man opposite him.

Placing both hands firmly upon the desk, Quatre tried to push himself from his seat. His lip still quivered and a small bit of moisture began to build up in his eyes. In a sudden outburst, he swung around the desk and ran to the man, embracing him in a tight hug; from there he began to cry into the taller man's shoulder. "Oh, Trowa! I thought I'd never see you again! It's been so long..."

"Yes, Quatre. It has been ten long years... Ten years in which we never spoke of our Gundams to anyone but ourselves, and those of whom we held dear to us. Those who lived through the War with us...but..."

Removing his face, which was now very pale and tearstained, Quatre looked up at Trowa. "...No...Please, don't tell me...no!" Both hands shot to his ears and he sank to the floor sobbing.

"I'm afraid so... Our lives of peace no longer reside, as well as those around us. I've heard from word that there's a new corporation. It's supposed to train young trainees to become officers much like Sally, though when I went to check it out, the headquarters seemed to have something else in mind."

"Trowa...please...I don't...I don't need to hear this." The tears continued to fall from Quatre's shuteyes and his hands slid from where they had been covering his ears to the floor in order to help support him from falling over.

The ex-pilot of the Gundam Heavyarms sank to Quatre's side, and put a reassuring arm around his shoulders. "I did not come here to cause you pain, old friend. I merely was informing you of the facts I had inquired. You need not take part in this fight for peace, for I know that you as a Winner, have the blood of a Pacifist within you." 

Trowa shook his head, "You need not come this time round, Quatre. I know of the pain you endured during the War...I wish not to see you in that state again..."

Quatre was at a loss for words, and only stared back at Trowa.

Rising to his feet, Trowa bid Quatre a farewell with the wave of his hand. "I have to tell the others, Quatre. It was good to see you again..."

"Wait, Trowa!" 

He paused, halfway out the door and looked back, "Yes?"  
  


"What's the name...of this corporation...?"

"O.A.C.2. To the innocent people of Earth and the Colonies, it doesn't stand for anything but for those within its secret, it stands for Operation After Colony Two. In other words, a whole new Operation Meteor." Trowa left the office, without a further word.

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

Wufei strode towards the small makeshift landing port and heard the familiar noises of metal upon metal as tools were applied to their subjects. "Oi, Sally!"

"Yes, Wufei?" Sally answered poking her head around the new model of Gundam she had been working on in secrecy. There now stood four giant Gundams side by side, almost exact replica's of their original beings. She worked upon the fifth, finishing with a final bolt.

"All five of them, complete." Wufei stared up at them, then turned to Sally in awe.   
  


"Oh don't flatter me." She said, hopping down and wiping sweat from her forehead. "I had to finish before Trowa got everyone together, you know." 

"It's...so awkward...even now." Wufei thought of the moments he shared with the others those long years ago. 

"Indeed. But we've got to keep human kind in line, who will if we don't?" Sally said in a mocking tone.

"I know." Wufei murmured. "I feel a bit sorry for the rest of them though. I mean, they all have normal lives, even families."

"We can't help what our fellow man does, Wufei. Only a man can alter or determine the fate of mankind."

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

Closing the bedroom door silently, Heero's good mood smiled, changed to that of a frown. His eyes fell upon the form that stood in front of the apartment's main door, arms folded across their chest.

"May I help you?"

"Yes, Sir Yuy...you may."

Heero's eyes grew wide and he gasped. "What's this...?!" He had to blink before he could say anything else. "Dorothy?!"

"In the flesh." She grinned and removed the hat, which held her hair. It fell to her back, in a blonde array of wisps. "I've come, to alert you."

"Alert me? Of what?"

"You will find out in good time." Casually she strode over to the kitchen and pulled a chair out from beneath the table sitting upon it. "For our visitor has just appeared."

Sure enough, there was a tapping at the door and Trowa entered. He looked to Heero, but when he noticed Dorothy, he gasped as well. 

"Barton? What are you doing here?!" Heero was confused. How had all of his fellow participants of Operation Meteor found his apartment? Why were they here?

After nodding towards Dorothy, Trowa returned his gaze to Heero. "Everyone else has been informed so I thought that you might want a heads up as well, being as you were the one to stalk off on your own those ten years back." He sighed. "Another War's about to start. I know my limits and can't do much by myself." 

"And you want me to put everything else in my life on hold, just to save the world again?" 

The tone surprised both Trowa and Dorothy.

"I have a daughter now. She's just turned six and I can't leave her alone..." His eyes began to water, and slowly with a murmur he added. "Relena died right after she gave birth."

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

"Dad, where are you going?"

Duo tried to smile, but failed miserably. "I'm not going anywhere...don't get upset..." He stepped forward and bent down to pick him up, but Koin stepped back.

The smile faded from his lips, as Duo looked to his son, for the first time afraid. He couldn't lie to his son anymore, he'd only break their close relationship, and right now, that's all he had. "Son…" he stood up and walked over to the couch. "Sit down, and I'll explain it all…"

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

Several hours passed, and the group began to gather for their one time reunion. Duo had been able to let Koin stay with Hilde's parents, as well as Sara, Heero's daughter. The ex-Gundam pilots, minus Quatre, and Sally and Dorothy had gathered outside the great building of O.A.C.2. Trowa explained what he knew to everyone, and they easily caught on.

"Where's Quatre?" Inquired Dorothy, as she noted that her fellow blonde was nowhere to be seen. 

"I told him he didn't have to partake on this mission. He has a good life now, steady one; the mentioning of another War only brought tears to his eyes." Answered Trowa in his calm serene voice.

Everyone nodded, and Trowa aided by Sally opened the doors of the large truck that Dorothy had so kindly lent them. "This, my friends…" Pulling the doors apart to reveal one of the large re-modeled Gundams Sally had made, "Is just one of the recently built weapons we have at are disposal."

"And in using disposal, you mean the least." Muttered Duo. "After all, when we're done with this job, off into the sun they go." 

Trowa nodded solemnly. 

"Although, you've only brought one, Barton. I see that you're planning on sending a scout in first before we have any means of attacking." Heero intruded. 

Wufei just listened to it all from the sidelines, his arms folded across his chest in thought of his clan.

"Right you are. And that intruder, just as well may be you."

Heero smirked. "Must I?" He asked in a sarcastic tone. "What do you want me to get information about?"

"Basically what they plan to do.  I heard that they're a religious group who are trying to 'purify' the world." 

But before they could move a muscle, a figure wearing a silver dog tag walked over to them. Gingerly removing the pair of shades covering her eyes, she spoke. "You might not want to do that without thinking first. After all, you don't think they'd really be doing illegal things without good security."

"And who might I ask are you?" Snapped Wufei as he looked up from where he was staring at the ground.

"Just someone here to help you save the world." She had long brown hair that was highlighted, light blue eyes, and wore an outfit of that of the army. "If you couldn't tell by now, I'm one of the new Gundam Pilots."


	2. PEACE

They all stared at the person whom stood before them, mouths slightly ajar. 

"YOU'RE the new Gundam Pilot?" Scoffed Wufei, in a less than friendly tone.

"Why yes I am. Do you have a problem with that?" She answered, glaring at him coldly as her tone changed from soft to harsh.

Breaking the tension, Duo looked at her. "What's your name? You seem a bit too young to be a pilot."

She smiled and laughed. "Well, my name is Shita Maki, and for your information, I'm 19-years-old. I will pilot the Gundam of Shadows."

"Aren't you against us in this battle, however?" Trowa piped in. "I mean, your whole corporation's motive is---"

"The motive is to bring about a purifying act of this world. My father believes in the ways of Christianity and follows the Bible and its words as if it were a sin not to do so. He also believes that even with the peace between the colonies and Earth, that this world is condemned to Hell if the scum is not sent away." She only shook her head is dismay, "Meaning, he's going to follow the testaments of the Bible in order to bring about a world of only purified people."

Sally looked to Shita with interest. "So really, he just wants to see what people God saves for they and they alone are pure. Is that it?"

"Exactly."

"This is a bit more complex then we first thought then." 

Shita turned her head in the direction of the speaker and her eyes fell upon Heero. She gasped. "Heero Yuy, or rather, Darlian. The predecessor of the step towards peace, I'm surprised to see you here. But then again, maybe not as much as I thought I would have been."

Heero merely inclined his head with a nod.

"Too bad Quatre isn't here, he'd think of something. Some course of action." Duo muttered as he fiddled idly with his braid.

"…" Trowa returned to his silent self, deciding not to comment again. It was probably the hardest for him, than anyone else, to allow the Arabian to stay where he remained. It had been a long time of their separation, and Trowa had hoped to spend time catching up, but it was not to be.

Duo noticed his mistake, and quickly changed the subject. "So, why do you want to help us again?"

"Because I know my father is in the wrong. Killing innocent people in the ways that he will, won't bring salvation, but only more suffering. The Gundams he got for myself and two others, to say in the least, they're fakes. Shinji Motowatsu and Raems Takero are my companions. They are in on the scheme and are willing to do what orders follow."

The dog tag upon Dorothy's neck glistened in the sunlight and she asked Shita calmly, "What is the name of your father?"

"Daimon Maki. Why do you ask?"

Shaking her head, Dorothy smiled. "No reason in particular."

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

"Sir, the virus has been completed and several thousand capsules have been filled. Everything else is in place and your soldiers await further orders." The vid.com shut off with the report of the soldier, and the man upon the receiver smiled with contempt.

"Excellent. You serve me well, Commander Ziet. Shinji, Raems!"

"Hai?" The answer came in unison from the two young men who stood side-by-side, shoulders almost touching. [1]

"Have either of you seen Shita, it is almost time to begin."

"No, Sir."

"Well find her. Your Gundams await their pilots, and there will be no room for faults."

"Hai."

The two passed a nod between each other as they bowed and left the command center. Now was the time to act, before innocent bystanders would be pulled into the mayhem of another war to come.

Tilting her head, Shita saw the two forms of Shinji and Raems coming this way. She waved, resisting the urge to shout out to them, for the risk of a soldier overhearing. Both nodded their heads, and walked over to where she stood with the others.

"I take it these are the notorious Gundam Pilots of Operation Meteor?" Inclined Shinji, a tall man with short flaming red hair as well as amber eyes. His garb was that of a uniform that all three of them wore, a black top decorated with various white feathers that were embroidered; the bottom hanging a bit below the red sash used for a belt, covering the top of the white pants which were trimmed with red.

"Of course they are, who else would they be?" Answered the shorter of the two, Raems. He had slightly longer hair the color of ebony black which hung to his mid back in a low set ponytail contrasting with his violet eyes.

Shaking her head, Shita motioned to the two as she spoke their names. "This is Shinji, and the other is Raems. Shinji pilots Gundam Mystic, and Rames, Gundam Lunar."

"Shita, your father sent us to look for you, he said that the preparations are all ready, and that it's time to attack. There isn't much time if you're going to fill everyone in with the information needed. As long as your father, Commander Daimon doesn't see all three of us together, we'll be set."

"I know, Raems. Shinji, would you mind filling in the rest of the information? I've told the motives, and a bit of my father. Raems, you come with me, we need to make sure that that virus doesn't get out." With a nod, Raems followed Shita.

"Wait! You never said anything about a virus!" Sally called after the two, but received no answer. She sighed.

"I'm assuming that Shita explained of her father's way of following the Bible, yes?"

"Indeed she did." Answered Trowa.

"Well, to be more precisely, he's following Moses' Plagues upon Egypt. He's been working on this project for quite some time now, and it is very delicately mapped out. Almost flawless. The virus has been specially created by the scientists of his laboratories and is to only seek out the cells within the eldest son of every family. I'm surprised it was actually a successful transmit." Shinji continued his explanation.

Duo froze, his mouth hanging open, eyes wide with horror. "Koin…"

All present looked at him, but it was Heero who placed a reassuring hand upon his shoulder. "Don't worry, Duo. We'll stop them before anything goes wrong. Your son isn't going to die."

Looking to Heero with a slightly scared expression, Duo fought his best to nod and remain strong. After all, he'd have to be strong so that he didn't jeopardize the mission.

"I noticed you picked the phrasing 'almost flawless', Shinji." Mused Wufei speaking up again. "Do you know the flaws?"

Shinji merely laughed, though all knew this was something to be taken lightly. "Of course. If I didn't, I don't know where we'd be."

Wufei scoffed at being shown off, and folded his arms across his chest, only to be chuckled at by Sally.

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

Back in the large office building, Quatre was pacing his steps over and over, with a worried expression planted all over his face. He had left his comrades to fight a battle against the odds of the world. He had so foolishly backed out of it, using the excuse that he had family. Duo had family, and so did Heero from what Trowa said, and yet they were risking it all just to save the world.

"Quatre Raberba Winner. Born Pacifist, not a world saver…" He muttered beneath his breath as he stopped pacing to stare out the large window. Looking down, he saw the actions of the people in the city, bustling about doing their work without a care in the world.

They didn't know.

They didn't know their lives were in danger and yet, he knew, and here he was standing, doing nothing. No. This wasn't the Quatre he had become those years back, this wasn't the Quatre his friends had depended upon. This was the childish Quatre who always depended upon his sisters to take care of him, the one who he thought he had left behind with his dead father and sister.

"What do I do…?" Quatre asked, his hand upon the window. "Should I fight, or should I be a spectator?"

[1]: For those of you who do not know Japanese, "hai" can be translated to either "yes" or "yes sir".


End file.
